Logical-to-physical production system alignment and development

Abstract

A method of developing a production system that is aligned with the logical and physical requirements of the production system. The method includes building a logical control node as a structured data object containing a hierarchical list of design requirements associated with a portion of a production system. The logical control node is combined with other logical control nodes associated with other portions of the production system based on relationships between the respective requirements stored in the logical control nodes. The logical network is then converted into a physical model of the production system by converting the logical control nodes into their related physical nodes and confirming the arrangement of the physical nodes conforms to the relationships established in the logical network and any other relevant requirements stored in the logical control nodes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for developing a production system comprising:
 building a first logical control node associated with a first portion of a production system, the first logical control node configured as a structured data object containing a first hierarchical list of design requirements including at least one of a tooling requirement, equipment requirement, operational requirement, facility requirement, materials requirement, or assembly requirement associated with the first portion of the production system;   incorporating the first logical control node into a logical network comprising a plurality of logical control nodes associated with a plurality of other portions of the production system, incorporating the first logical control node including:
 identifying a second logical control node from the plurality of logical control nodes, the second logical control node containing a second hierarchical list of design requirements of a second portion of the production system; 
 determining a relationship between a first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and a second design requirement stored in the second logical control node; and 
 defining a link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node based on the relationship; and 
   converting the logical network into a physical model of the production system comprising a rendering of the production system, converting the logical network including:
 converting the first logical control node into a first physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the first portion of the production system; 
 converting the second logical control node into a second physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the second portion of the production system; and 
 arranging the first physical node and the second physical node in the physical model based on the relationship between the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein defining the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node comprises:
 determining a precedential order between the first logical control node and the second logical control node; and   incorporating an indication of the precedential order into the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving an update to the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node; 
 determining a relationship between the updated first design requirement and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node by identifying the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node; and 
 providing an indication of the updated design requirement to the second logical control node. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising generating a user-readable notification of the update to the first design requirement and adding the user-readable notification to the first logical control node and the second logical control node. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical list of design requirements comprises a design requirement received from a first data repository and a design requirement received from a second data repository, wherein the first data repository is not configured to communicate with the second data repository. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein converting the logical network into the physical model of the production system further comprises comparing the physical model of the production system to the hierarchical list of design requirements associated with the first portion of the production system and the hierarchical list of design requirements associated with the second portion of the production system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical model of the production system comprises a three-dimensional rendering of a spatial arrangement of design elements within the production system. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for developing a production system, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry and a memory storing executable instructions that, in response to execution by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to at least:
 build a first logical control node associated with a first portion of a production system, the first logical control node configured as a structured data object containing a first hierarchical list of design requirements including at least one of a tooling requirement, equipment requirement, operational requirement, facility requirement, materials requirement, or assembly requirement associated with the first portion of the production system;   incorporate the first logical control node into a logical network comprising a plurality of logical control nodes associated with a plurality of other portions of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to incorporate the first logical control node includes the apparatus being caused to:
 identify a second logical control node from the plurality of logical control nodes, the second logical control node containing a second hierarchical list of design requirements of a second portion of the production system; 
 determine a relationship between a first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and a second design requirement stored in the second logical control node; and 
 define a link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node based on the relationship; and 
   convert the logical network into a physical model of the production system comprising a rendering of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to convert the logical network includes the apparatus being caused to:
 convert the first logical control node into a first physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the first portion of the production system; 
 convert the second logical control node into a second physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the second portion of the production system; and 
 arrange the first physical node and the second physical node in the physical model based on the relationship between the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus being caused to define the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node comprises the apparatus being caused to:
 determine a precedential order between the first logical control node and the second logical control node; and   incorporate an indication of the precedential order into the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , the apparatus being further caused to:
 receive an update to the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node;   determine a relationship between the updated first design requirement and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node by identifying the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node; and   provide an indication of the updated design requirement to the second logical control node.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the apparatus being further caused to generate a user-readable notification of the update to the first design requirement and adding the user-readable notification to the first logical control node and the second logical control node. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the hierarchical list of design requirements comprises a design requirement received from a first data repository and a design requirement received from a second data repository, wherein the first data repository is not configured to communicate with the second data repository. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the apparatus being caused to convert the logical network into the physical model of the production system further comprises the apparatus being caused to compare the physical model of the production system to the hierarchical list of design requirements associated with the first portion of the production system and the hierarchical list of design requirements associated with the second portion of the production system. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the physical model of the production system comprises a three-dimensional rendering of a spatial arrangement of design elements within the production system. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-readable storage medium for developing a production system, the computer-readable storage medium being non-transitory and having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:
 build a first logical control node associated with a first portion of a production system, the first logical control node configured as a structured data object containing a first hierarchical list of design requirements including at least one of a tooling requirement, equipment requirement, operational requirement, facility requirement, materials requirement, or assembly requirement associated with the first portion of the production system;   incorporate the first logical control node into a logical network comprising a plurality of logical control nodes associated with a plurality of other portions of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to incorporate the first logical control node includes the apparatus being caused to:
 identify a second logical control node from the plurality of logical control nodes, the second logical control node containing a second hierarchical list of design requirements of a second portion of the production system; 
 determine a relationship between a first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and a second design requirement stored in the second logical control node; and 
 define a link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node based on the relationship; and 
   convert the logical network into a physical model of the production system comprising a rendering of the production system, wherein the apparatus being caused to convert the logical network includes the apparatus being caused to:
 convert the first logical control node into a first physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the first portion of the production system; 
 convert the second logical control node into a second physical node defining a spatial arrangement of design elements within the second portion of the production system; and 
 arrange the first physical node and the second physical node in the physical model based on the relationship between the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus being caused to define the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node comprises the apparatus being caused to:
 determine a precedential order between the first logical control node and the second logical control node; and   incorporate an indication of the precedential order into the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , the apparatus being further caused to:
 receive an update to the first design requirement stored in the first logical control node;   determine a relationship between the updated first design requirement and the second design requirement stored in the second logical control node by identifying the link between the first logical control node and the second logical control node; and   provide an indication of the updated design requirement to the second logical control node.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , the apparatus being further caused to generate a user-readable notification of the update to the first design requirement and adding the user-readable notification to the first logical control node and the second logical control node. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the hierarchical list of design requirements comprises a design requirement received from a first data repository and a design requirement received from a second data repository, wherein the first data repository is not configured to communicate with the second data repository. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus being caused to convert the logical network into the physical model of the production system further comprises the apparatus being caused to compare the physical model of the production system to the hierarchical list of design requirements associated with the first portion of the production system and the hierarchical list of design requirements associated with the second portion of the production system. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the physical model of the production system comprises a three-dimensional rendering of a spatial arrangement of design elements within the production system.